The best 12 examples of sales promotion for your store

Much is said about "doing promotions", but little is said about what types of promotions exist and why some work so well 🤑

For this article, I took the time to thoroughly research the types of sales promotions, when to use them, and how the brands with the best conversion do it online. In addition, I analyzed 12 real promotion examples together with the YaVendió! team, experts in e-commerce sales.

So if you're looking for fresh ideas for your next promotion or just want to understand how to do a promo right, stay tuned. This is going to help you a lot 💪

To start, what are sales promotions?

Sales promotions are specific strategies that brands use to incentivize purchases. They can be discounts, gifts, combos, coupons, or even raffles.

But beware: it's not just about "lowering prices", but generating a clear impulse for the customer to act now.

Well thought out, they help you increase sales, attract new customers, retain existing ones, move stock, and even position your brand in the consumer's mind. 

What types of promotions exist?

There are various types of promotions you can use depending on your business goals. Remember that sales promotions are powerful tools if you know how to use them strategically, not just impulsively.

Sales promotions based on the objective

First, identify what you seek to achieve by offering a promo. Here I share these types of promotions based on your main objective:

Increase sales 💸

If you're looking to quickly generate more sales, limited-time promotions or aggressive discounts may be the answer. This type of promotion works because it creates a sense of urgency and motivates people to make quick purchasing decisions.

For example:

• Flash sales for 24 hours: "Only today: 25% off across the store until 11:59 p.m. Don’t miss out!"

Foster customer loyalty 🥰

Promotions such as rewards programs or exclusive offers for members are perfect when you want to build long-term relationships with your customers. With these, you not only incentivize purchases but also keep customers engaged with your brand.

For example: 

• Birthday discount: “Happy Birthday! 🎉 We give you 15% OFF to use during your entire month.”

Attract new customers 🎯

If your objective is to expand your customer base, referral promotions or coupons for first purchases are ideal. You can increase traffic to your store by offering a discount for referring friends or giving a gift for the first purchase ;)

For example: 

• First purchase discount: “First time here? We give you 10% OFF just for signing up 🥳”

Move inventory or clearances 🛒

“Buy one get one” promotions or bulk discounts are especially useful when you need to get rid of old inventory or sell large quantities of products in a short time.

For example:

• Season clearance: “End the season with crazy discounts. Up to 60% OFF on selected items!”

Create brand awareness 📢

In this case, partnerships with other brands or contests and giveaways on social networks can help you increase the visibility of your business, generate conversation, and attract a wider audience.

For example: 

• Collaborations with influencers or local brands: “Special launch with Butrich: limited edition available only this week.”

Now that you have identified your objective, let's analyze the 12 most effective types of promotions for online stores - I include examples of real promotions that will help you understand how to apply them.

The 12 most effective types of promotions for online stores (with real examples)

If you're wondering what kind of promotions you can do to sell more, this section is for you.

Together with the YaVendió team, I have gathered and analyzed the 12 most effective types of promotions for businesses that sell online:

• Limited-time discounts

• Free shipping from a certain amount

• Buy 2 get 1 or 3 for 2 promotions

• Discount coupons at checkout

• Gifts with purchase

• Referral program

• Exclusive discounts for subscribers

• Seasonal promotions 

• No-interest installments

• Volume pricing

• Alliances and cross-promotions

• Mentions discounts

Whether you have an online store, a business on social networks, sell via WhatsApp, or another online platform, you can get inspired by this selection of the best promotion examples. Let’s look at them in detail.

1.- Limited-time discounts

The most classic promo... and one of the most effective! It’s about offering a discount for a short period of time to encourage quick purchases. 

The SuperPet campaign “Holiday Mode” is a great example of this sales promotion. The well-known online store of food and pet care launched discounts valid only for a week and that ended on the Easter holidays. 

SuperPet knows its audience and knew that during holidays, pet owners may go on trips outside the city or face difficulties in getting products for their pets. So, they invited them to get ready with these discounts.

2.- Free shipping from a certain amount

A simple yet powerful offer: if the customer buys more, they don’t pay for shipping! This tactic motivates filling the cart a little more and improving the average ticket without having to offer a direct discount.

For this promotion example, we have Cuidafarma.pe who launched a summer campaign with free delivery for exceeding a purchase amount through their website:

3.- Buy 2 get 1 or 3 for 2 promotions

“Get more for less” is an irresistible formula. The classic 2x1 or 3x2 works perfectly to move inventory, especially for fast-rotating or trendy products.

For example, Tambo, the convenience store chain in Peru, offered a “pay for 2 and take 3” promotion in its beer category during a weekend. All of this exclusive for purchases through their website and mobile app. 

This example of sales promotion also shows a high consideration for its target audience, which is highly digital young adults.

4.- Discount coupons at checkout

A promotional coupon can speed up the purchase process and turn an undecided visitor into a happy customer. It can even incentivize people who have never been to your store to make their first purchase.

Communicate it on your digital channels or keep it as a surprise coupon for those who reach the checkout.

For this type of promotion, the example comes with Samsung. They shared a discount coupon during their “Sale Days” campaign - exclusive for white goods like refrigerators and washing machines.

5.- Gifts with purchase

Who doesn't like to receive something extra? Whether it’s a sample, a complementary product, or a brand detail, this type of promotion generates goodwill with the customer and adds more value to their purchase.

For this promo, we have PuroSnacks that during Christmas gave away a snack from their main chocolate category in all orders of the season

6.- Referral programs

Turn your customers into your best sellers. With a referral program, you reward those who recommend you and attract new customers without investing in ads. It's like digital word of mouth, but with a prize for your most enthusiastic customers.

For example, Tiendamia launched a referral program where both the person who refers and their friends receive credit for future purchases on their website.

7.- Exclusive discounts for subscribers

Make your followers feel VIP! Offering promos only to those on your email or WhatsApp list is a way to reward loyalty and keep your community more active than ever.

Tottus knows how to apply this promotion perfectly and often sends exclusive discounts by email to its customers. It’s very useful for generating purchases from customers who haven't done so in a while or to express how valuable a customer is to your brand.

8.- Seasonal or campaign promotions 

Take advantage of key calendar dates (Christmas, Black Friday, Valentine’s Day) to launch special offers. Consumers are already in “buying mode”, they just need a good excuse to choose your store.

Buscalibre, the online bookstore, makes use of this type of promotion on every commercial date. So, it's the ideal example of a seasonal sales promotion. 

On the last Black Friday, Buscalibre launched incredible discounts with an aggressive campaign both by email and social networks.

They not only relied on the discount but also applied a sense of urgency highlighting “the last hours” and offered free shipping. An irresistible promotion for book lovers.

9.- No-interest installments

The “No-interest installments” promotion is ideal for high-ticket products. The option of no-interest payment plans can make a difference between closing a sale and a “I'll think about it”. It’s about giving the customer more flexibility and confidence to make the purchase.

For example, Nikon Center Chile offered up to 12 installments without interest on all its products just before the Christmas holidays. For this, customers had to pay with Webpay on their website! A strategic promotion from every angle!

Related: Examples of effective product descriptions

10.- Volume pricing

In this type of promo, customers pay less the more they buy, and it works very well with wholesalers or to encourage group purchases. Also, it helps you move stock faster if you need to renew your catalog for upcoming campaigns.

See how Merqueo, a 100% digital supermarket with a presence in Colombia and Mexico, does it. On their anniversary, they implemented a volume pricing strategy and offered discounts on products like eggs and milk when purchased in quantities. 

11.- Alliances and cross-promotions

Partnering with another store or business allows you to expand your reach and offer attractive combos. Make sure both have complementary products and for similar audiences. Think of it this way: Two brands, one promo, and everyone wins (even the algorithm!) 

An example of this sales promotion is Netzun x Linio. Both brands in the tech sector formed an alliance to create this Cyber promo: “Buy on Linio and get a free Netzun course”.

If you notice, both brands benefit and have complementary offers for the tech audience. While Linio sells a laptop, Netzun gains a student for their platform.

12.- Discounts for mentions on social networks

Encourage your customers to share their experience with your brand on Instagram or TikTok. In return, give them a coupon for their next purchase or a gift. It’s an organic and cost-effective way to gain visibility. Also, you get user-generated content that’s always good for your brand's reputation.

In this case, La boutique de la innovación provides us with an example with their promotion “Share and Win”. To participate, their customers must share a video of their experience with their products on social networks and thus earn a credit. Simple and impactful!

When to run promotions in your online store?

You should know that there is no single answer to when it is best to launch promotions, but there are strategic moments where they can make a big difference in your sales. 

Related: Guide to choosing the best colors for your store

These are the best moments to launch your sales promotions:

• The key e-commerce dates: Days like Black Friday, Cyber Wow, or Christmas are perfect opportunities to apply various sales promotions that take advantage of high traffic and consumer buying desire.

  
  

• Product or collection launches: A special promo (such as an exclusive discount or a gift with purchase) can generate anticipation and speed up conversion.

  
  

• Low seasons or end of month: Not everything is about major events. When sales tend to decline, you can use creative promotions to reactivate interest. 

  
  

• Near the quarter end, it is common for many online stores to run clearance campaigns or strategic offers to meet their targets.

In any of these cases, it's important to have a clear understanding of what types of promotions exist and how to adapt them to your store and business goals.

How to plan and run sales promotions?

Step 1: Identify your goal

Before launching any promotion, ask yourself: what do I want to achieve? It's not the same to attract new customers as to retain the ones you already have. You might also want to clear out inventory, increase the average ticket, or simply make a splash with your brand.

Being clear about your goal is what will allow you to choose the right type of promotion and then measure whether it worked or not. This is the starting point for everything that follows — don’t skip it!

Step 2: Choose the promotion and define how it will work

Once you know your goal, choose a promo that will help you achieve it. For example: if you want to move stock, a 2-for-1 or "last units with discount" might work. Review the 12 examples of sales promotions we developed above to find the one you need.

Here you should also define the terms and conditions of the promotion: is there a minimum amount?, does it apply to certain products?, are there restrictions? The clearer the rules, the fewer questions your customers will have, and the better the purchase experience will be.

Step 3: Establish how you will communicate your promotion

A promotion is useless if no one knows about it. So, you must decide where and how you are going to communicate it. Think about the channels where your customers interact the most: social media, email, banners on your website, or WhatsApp.

Even if you already use WhatsApp as a sales channel, you can make even better use of it with an AI virtual seller, like YaVendió!. AI can automatically sell your products via WhatsApp and even mention your promos at strategic moments in the conversation.

💡 Discover why more and more online businesses choose YaVendió! to automate their sales.

Step 4. Prepare your marketing resources

It's time to translate your promotional strategy into concrete pieces. The copies should be clear, brief, and persuasive; the banners need to highlight the essence of the promo; and if you use a landing page, it should be direct to the point: no distractions and with a visible purchase button.

Consider each resource as a part of the customer journey. Everything should lead them from attention to action.

Step 5: Launch, measure, and adjust

When launching your promotion, don't forget about measurement. Monitor the metrics from day one and analyze your results at the end: How many people took advantage of the promo?, Did you increase sales?, Did it bring new leads?

Every promotion is an opportunity to learn. Adjust what didn't work, double down on what did, and little by little, you’ll create a sales strategy that not only looks good but truly sells.

Create your winning promo!

By applying the right types of promotions, you can transform a casual visit into a purchase... and a purchase into a long-term relationship.

You now have in your hands the examples, the ideas, and the guide to put it into practice. Now only the most important thing is missing: that you take action. Your best promo starts today 😉